Each edition of the Everest of the seas offers an opportunity
for sailors to display the colours of a charity or to make people aware
of a good cause or medical problem. The eighth Vendée Globe is no
exception with Yann Eliès, Eric Bellion, Tanguy de Lamotte and Thomas
Ruyant all publicising charitable organisations. Claude Quéguiner, head of the Group of the same name has been
associated with the Leucémie Espoir federation for a long time. This
charity offers help to people suffering from leukaemia and their
families, as well as contributing funds to search for new treatments.
It
is therefore no surprise to see that this has been included in the
Groupe Quéguiner sailing project, which chose Yann Eliès as their
skipper back in 2012. Together they have achieved three wins in the
Solitaire du Figaro and made it to the podium of the Transat Jacques
Vabre in 2015. The Quéguiner-Leucémie Espoir monohull, which
revolutionised the IMOCA class in 2007 (ex Safran) inspired the boats
that were to follow to go down the same route. They are hoping that this
charitable project will make it to the podium in this eighth Vendée
Globe.
Stronger due to our differences
For the first time in the Vendée Globe, there is a message in favour
of ‘difference’ with Eric Bellion as skipper of COMMEUNSEULHOMME
appearing in the 2016 race. What is the idea? “Difference can be a
source of complications, making life difficult, but if it is accompanied
by the desire to succeed together, it becomes a strength.” An amateur
adventurer, Eric Bellion knows what he is doing, as he has already run
several race projects. “When you are in a storm on the high seas, and
you have to hand over the helm to a crewman, it doesn’t matter whether
that person is handicapped or not, black or white, man or woman. The
only thing that matters is trusting each other.” This approach won over
fourteen business leaders, who have backed COMMEUNSEULHOMME, Eric
Bellion’s boat (the former DCNS from the 2008 Vendée Globe). Around
80,000 employees will be experiencing Éric’s round the world voyage and
discovering that difference is a real team strategy.
Repairing children’s hearts
By getting out there sailing, Tanguy de Lamotte has been supporting
Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque since 2005. The Vendée Globe for Initiatives
Cœur-K.Line is a a boat, a skipper and sponsors, who are committed to
supporting a humanitarian association. Co-founded by the surgeon,
Francine Leca and Patrice Roynette, Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque operates
on children from poor countries. The foundation was already present in
the 1996 Vendée Globe with Catherine Chabaud (6th). Since the last
edition, 77 children have benefitted from an operation, while the
Vendée-based firm K.Line, attracted by these values, has joined Tanguy
and his sponsor Initiatives-cœur for their second Vendée Globe. Both
partners are signed up to the operation, One click, one heart. They
donate one euro to Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque for each new fan on
Initiatives-cœur’s facebook page. An operation can be carried out on a
child each time 12,000 euros has been raised.
We can change the world
Le souffle du Nord pour le projet Imagine is backing the skipper from
the North-East of France, Thomas Ruyant in his round the world
campaign. With the hummingbird logo, Imagine is an NGO created by the
journalist Frédérique Bedos, who directs and produces political
documentary films. Her aim is to bring together journalism and hope,
insisting on the idea that everyone of us has a role to play in our
planet’s future. His films aim to encourage people to contribute to
these measures. The North of France region, where the journalist comes
from, joined the Imagine Movement with charitable backers such as Devred
1902. Thomas Ruyant’s 60-foot boat is Kito de Pavant’s former Groupe
Bel (Vendée Globe 2008 and 2012). The four skippers involved in these
charity campaigns are in fact all lining up aboard IMOCAs from the 2007
generation for this eighth Vendée Globe.
(www.vendeeglobe.org)
